Plywood barrel



Dec. 30, 1941. c. B. ARNOLD l 2,267,888

` PLYWOOD BARREL Filed Nov. l2, 1938 I fg Patented Dec. 30, 1941 I2,267,8zsz;

AUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ...Ywlfm f Charles B. Arno1d,' Chicago, 111.-, assignor, by mesne assignments, to The Greif Bros. Coopera/ge Corporation, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporationl of Delaware Application November 12, 1938, Serial No. 240,139

- 2 Claims.

'I'he present invention is concerned with certain improvements of a barrel made of plywood or similar material. For its objects it aims to provide a `barrel structure which, without increased expense, will have greater strength and capacity to withstand the rigors encountered in shipment and usage. More particularly, 'the present improvements are directed towardv a novel assembly and securement of the plies comprised in the barrel wherebyvtwo or more concentric shells are provided, each shell vbeing formed of a plurality of plies immovably united to each other, the several shells, however, being so secured as to have capacity for slight orf-.relative movement. .f

A barrel of this general description maybe variously formed and be equipped with numerous accessory features,.all as hereinafter pointed out in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein are shown certain embodiments of my invention in the manner following:

Figure 1 is a view in elevation of the present barrel, looking toward the covered joint between the meeting ends of the outer shell;

Fig. 2 is a top planviewof the barrel showing a removable head or cover fitted in place:

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail in section taken on line 3-.3 of Fig. 1; Y

Fig. 4 is a fragmentaryhlongitudinal section through the barrel to which is applied a head of modied construction; and l Fig. 5 which is a view similar to Fig. 3 illustrates a slight modication in the construction 'of the barrel. v In producing the present barrel I form at least two shells S and S2, each offcir'cular form and of approximately the same diameter. The shells, as shown, are made of plywood, i. e.,'the inner shell S' consists of two or more sheets a and ,b of veneer or like Vmaterial each of which with the aid of pressure is adhered to the adjacent sheet or sheets continuously over every portion oi their contacting surfaces,- and the outer shell. S2 is similarly' formed from two or more like sheets c andd. By employing heat\and pressure each plywood board maybe bent into circular form thus to remain permanently, or substantially so, therebieproducing a shell capable of association with other like shells in the special manner herer inafter described.

` The number ofplies united into each shell is `desirably two, although more may be employed if any advantage is obtainable by so doing. Likewise, two shells so formed yare desirably united to produce the present barrel, it-being so. The thickness of each ply is desirably somel what less than'that winch is usual for each of the plieslin the ordinary multiply barrel in which the standard wall thickness is about .3" for a three-ply structure, a suggested thickness for the present barrel, if made of four plies, ,beingA .25".

When combining vone shell with the other in concentric relation therewith the joints e and f formed by the meeting ends of each shell may be variously disposed. If the two shells be made initially of the same diameter. (as shown in Figs. 2 and 3) then it will be necessary in tting the outer shell around the one inside tospread somewhat the adjacent ends which otherwise would 'ordinarily meet. The joint f thereby produced 'over the inner surface of the inner shell at the joint. Within the space which is left by the x open joint of the outer shell, a ller strip 1 may be fitted. It is ordinarily good practice to locate the joints r-emotely from each other, although in the present construction this is not essential.

The tape applied to the inner surface of the inner shell may conveniently be adhered thereto asby a suitable glue or adhesive. The ller strip which is tted into the open joint of the'outer shell, however, should desirably be secured as with the aidfof staples 8. Such a strip may it- .self be of multiplyconstruction with its several plies adhered rmly to each other in the manner already4 explained. `When fitted in place, the fastening staples or nails are desrably driven through the ller strip and through the inner shell as well whereby the ller strip is perma nently .and immovably secured in place. The clinched vends ofthe staples or nails may be covered with a vpaper strip 9 or, other suitable protecting sheet material. V

A barrel so made comprises two cencentric shells, one fitted loosely upon the other, and each made up of a plurality of plies which are continuously adhered to each other over every portion of their contacting surfaces. It is desirable that the shells themselves be interconnected in such a way as tojprovide for slight relative movement therebetween, should 4this be necessary. staples or nails I0 which may be driven through the walls of the two shells with the projecting endsclinched upon the inner surface of the To accomplish this I again utili'ze inner shell. These fastenings .may be located close to -each end of the outer shell, the intervening space being occupied by the filler strip as already described, and adjacent the meeting ends of the inner shell.' By so proceeding the two shells are joined by a series of spot connections which serve to hold the otherwise u'nsecured ends of the two shells xedly in place.

'I'he cylindrical barrel thus formed is tted I- at its opposite ends with appropriate hoopsll and stays I2. The hoops, as shown in Fig. 1, are applied exteriorly and may be sodisposed that the upper edge of one and under edge of the I other lies flush with the top and with the bottom nails I6 having their inner ends clinched upon the stays. It will be noted that the staple fastenings last described supplement those which hold the ends of the two shells in place, all of them together constituting a plurality of spot connections which may give or yield slightly in the event the barrel be subjected to a severe shock or strain.

Referring now to' Fig. 4, the barrel therein shown responds to the preceding description except that the upper end of the inner shell extends on beyond the upper end oi the outer shell so as to provide upon the barrel exterior an annular shoulder over which may be iitted a hoop 2-I.whose upper portion is surroundedand gripped by the burred or crimped lower edge 22 of a metallic band 23 which is aixed to the top head or cover 2|, the band being provided with the outer face of the -outer shell. Between or beyond such hoops the staples or nails will pass through the two shells and nothing else. vIf

desired, a number of suchfastenings may be.

l. placed close to one of the ends vof the inner shell,

. .gency it is customary an inturned flange 24 adapted tooverlie thehead for a short distance. It may be convenient to form the head of iive united plies4 of veneer or other appropriate material, those adjacent its lower face being oi.' slightly reduced diameter to provide an annular shoulder against which the hoop 2| may be iitted. `In such a, head assembly the band serves as ai connecting -medium by which to retain the' hoop as a permanent part i thereof. Accordingly, in'applying the head the hoop vis rst tted over the upper end of thel inner shell before the head can be advanced to position, the lower edge of the hoop finally approaching the shoulder 20 whereon it may possibly rest. Such a head construction is' practicable when its associated hoop as well as the inner shell is suiiciently thin to iiex as required for the iitting of the one over thev other, there being a common tendency -for cylindrical plywood structures to bulge slightly out of round at the joint regions so that a close interitting is ordinarily difficult if not impossible. l l

In Fig. 5 I have shown a construction in which the veneer sheet forming the outer shell is slightly longer than the one used for the inner shell so that the meeting ends of each may abut to form a closed joint. Withsuch a construction,

I may secure the ends of the outer shell by aiixing over the joint f a metallic strip 25 fase tened in place with the aid oi staples or nails 26 which pass therethrough and through the outer shell, preferably at points relatively close to the joint. 'Ifhe joint of the inner shell may occupy an offset position withrespect to that of the outer shell-it may be anywhere from a few degrees 0E to a point which is 180 degrees opposite. Such an inner shell is desirably secured to the outer shell with the aid oi' staples ornails adjacent its joint e, as shown in Fig. 5. Over the joint may be adhered a tape or other strip 6 by which toprovide againstl leakage of material therethrough, f

-A loaded barrel, when moved r subjected to usual/conditions of service, must often withstand sudden and severe shocks and strains of many kinds. 'If the barrel be formed of two or more plies which are interconnected continuously over their contacting surfaces by an adhesive,

in accordance with usual practice, any shock is v absorbed Iat the point of impact, and in Vconseduence a fracture is liable to take place. To withstand as much as possible such a 'contin- I to build up the barrel thick--l ness to about .3" or more.

In the case of a three-ply board which is bent Afrom a conventional plywood remains constantly under tension so that in case bf sudden shock a rupture is liable to take place.

In my improved barrel, the .several plies are of- `under-size thickness so as to retain greater ilexibility. It is preferable that the grain of the inner ply of each shell extend lengthwise thereof, and that the veneers used for such plies be rotary-cut from the tree, thus preserving the original tendency `of the wood to maintain its curvature. When associatedwith an outer ply whose grain may` extend transversely to that of .the inner ply, the bers of the inner ply will compress easily, as required when reaching the curved formo! the shell. There is accordinglya minimum of strain in the completed shell, due to the l:fact that internal resistance is largely eliminated.

In the completed barrel of this invention, each shell is relatively iiexible and is free to "work slightly with respect to the others. y This capacity for slight relative movement is s'uiiicient to distribute throughout the entire barrel structure any strain or shock which otherwise might produce a break in the container. Damage, if `sustained, may be confined to the outer shell, and

with the inner shell still intact the container is,

still serviceable. I have also 'ascertained that the strength of a' container made of two shells each comprising two plies, and each lighter because the plies are thinner, is greater than a single shell-container of greater thickness, made up/ of three or four plies united in the usual way. All these features of advantage contribute to the durability and strength of the present barrel. l

The outer shell may continue lfor the full length of the barrel, as indicated in Fig. 1, or it may extend for a 4lesser distance, as suggested in Fig. A4. In the case of `a cover with a depend. ing hoop,V as shown in Fig. .,4," the hoop itself.

Since the adhesion between the conserves as outer shell to protect the other v shell which lies to the inside thereof. In whatever form the barrel may take, there is the evern present combination of two or more flexible shells, each made up of a plurality of thin plies which over every portion of their contacting surfaces are united to the adjacent plies, the shells themselves being interiltted and/or interconnected for relative movement. More than usual strengthis achieved, not by building up the wall thickness through the union of many plies, but

rather by connecting for relative movement two or more shells having a total thickness which is less than that of the usual rigid walls of a plywood container, each shell being itself exible so as to accommodate itself to the other whereby to better distribute and neutralize shocks proceeding from impacts upon the yexterior of the barrel.

I claim:

1.` A barrel in which is comprised a exible cylindrical shell formed of a plurality of plies, each contacting and adhered immovably to the one adjacent continuously of every portion of their opposed surfaces, a second flexible cylindrical shell also formed of a plurality of pliesvl each contacting and adhered immovably to the one adjacent continuously of every portion of their opposed surfaces, the two shells being ofl approximately thesarne peripheral length and the ends of the inner shell being in contacting relationship and the ends of the outer shell being spaced and positioned adjacent the contacting ends of the inner shell. the exterior surface of one shell and the interior surface of the other shellbeing smooth and each conformable to the other whereby when the'shells are interfltted one within the other the confronting smooth surfaces of the two shells will be in substantial continuous and mutual supporting engagement throughout their lentire opposed areas. means connecting said shells together peripherally at the ends of the barrel, and between the ends of the barrel over a limited area at one side only thereof, said limited area being the end contacting portions of the shells, .the contacting unconnected areas of l the shells having a sliding engagement with each other, said seeming .means 7extending Athrough both shells and laterally of thebarrel, and a tlller l strip tted in the space between the ends of the outer shell.

2. A barrel in whichlis comprised inner and outer cylindrical shells, each formed 'of a plurality of plies, each ply contacting and adhered iinmovably to the one adjacent continuously over every portion of their opposed surfaces and the two shells being loosely intertted one within the other with their terminal portions located at the v areasf except at said limited secured terminal areas and at said ends of the barrel, the contacting unconnected areas of the shells being free for slight relative sliding movement and having a sliding engagement' with each other so that shocks to the outershell will be yieldably and slidably received and resisted by the inner shell and injury to the barrel reduced to a. minimum.

cHA'RLEs B. inaNoLD.` 

